The Many Faces of Azul
There she is, in the middle of Times Square, downtown Manhattan, a 60+ year old woman posing in the nude – not on the street corner, but in an Annie Leibovitz photo emblazoned upon the side of a building adorned as the newest cover”woman” for Dove, the soap manufacturer.  The current Dove campaign celebrates beauty at every age touting the slogan “Beauty has no age limit.”

At Azul, we couldn’t agree more.  Our patients range from their 20s to their 80s.  A woman, no matter her age, wants to look her best and feel good about herself.  We are proud to offer solutions for our youngest patients who may have skincare concerns or the desire for permanent makeup, to our more mature patients who are facing middle age and everything that comes along with it from brown spots to dry skin, wrinkles or drooping eyelids.

And, for patients who simply want to look like themselves, only better and more refreshed, we offer facial rejuvenation solutions, surgical and non-surgical techniques to keep our patients looking vibrant….no matter what their age.

At Azul, we care for many faces and celebrate all ages.

Dr. Flaharty is an active supporter of the arts in Southwest Florida and is past president of the YMCA.  He is a soccer coach and a director or the Florida Premier Soccer Club.  In his spare time, he enjoys running, playing tennis and competing in triathlons.  He is shown here completing in the Great Floridaian 2006 Triathlon in Clermont, FL.

Cosmetic Q&A 

Q. My mother had eyelid surgery and wishes she had done it a lot sooner.  What is the best age to get eyelid surgery? 

A. Sometime in the late thirties to early forties our eyelids begin to show signs of aging.  These signs may include fine lines and wrinkles, extra skin folds in the upper and lower eyelids, bulging fat pads, and dark circles or hollow areas under the eyes.

There are a number of cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non-surgical to enhance the appearance of the eyes.  In the non-surgical category there is BOTOX® to soften crow's feet, Restylane® to fill in dark circles,  long lasting eyeliner and browliner to enhance the appearance of the eyelashes and eyebrows, and skin care to gently rejuvenate this delicate skin softening the fine lines and creases. 

To address excessive skin, bulging fat pads, or more advanced wrinkles a minor surgical procedure called Blepharoplasty or "eyelid reshaping" is the answer.  Through delicate, hidden incisions redundant skin can be removed and fatty pockets sculpted to reshape the eyelids to a more youthful contour.  Just about anyone over the age of forty is a good candidate for eyelid surgery as the procedure is quick, painless, and very low risk.   Although in most instances eyelid surgery is cosmetic, in certain cases where excessive upper eyelid skin droops over the eyelid margin insurance may cover part of this procedure.

Here is a before and after photo of what you can expect from eyelid surgery.  This patient complained of a tired, droopy look prior to surgery, now her wide-open look attracts compliments on her beautiful blue eyes.

If you have a question for Dr. Flaharty, there is no need to wait for
Expressions to publish, please email him directly at info@AzulBeauty.com.  We may select questions anonymously for future issues of Expressions.
 

Dr. Flaharty Presents at
National Medical Conference
Patrick M. Flaharty, MD, FAACS, was invited by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons (ASOPRS) to present and moderate a presentation on "Contemporary Techniques for the Rejuvenation of the Midface" during the annual ASOPRS national meeting held in Las Vegas on November 15 and 16, 2006.
 
 
 
 

Facial Fillers Grow In Popularity for Rejuvenation

  

Facial fillers are continuing to take an expanded role in non-surgical facial rejuvenation.  The most popular class of fillers are those made of Hyaluronic Acid.  This is a clear, gel-like protein that is native to our skin which has a high affinity for water thereby plumping the skin.  The two most popular fillers in this class are Restylane® and Juvederm™.   

These two products are very similar and can be used interchangeably. 
The Hyaluronic Acid products are fantastic for filling unwelcome lines and crease, reducing dark circles under the eyes, enhancing the cheeks, plumping the lips, and softening the furrows between the eyebrow and around the mouth.   When compared to Restylane®, Juvederm™ offers a slightly smoother delivery which may prove to be advantageous in treating delicate areas under the eyes and in the lips.  Patrick M. Flaharty, MD, FAACS, was chosen by Allergan Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of Juvederm™ as a member of the physician trial group.

Getting rid of dark circles under the eyes has been enhanced through a non-surgical method of strategically placed injections of Restylane® in the under-eye area. Men and women can achieve a more rested appearance for a powerful lift to the mid-face region.  Dr. Flaharty’s extensive experience in oculoplastic surgery (plastic and reconstructive surgery of the eye) makes him uniquely trained to perform this procedure.

Radiesse™ is a heavier filler composed of very small microspheres of calcium phosphate.  This thicker filler is used primarily under the skin to fill the deeper folds around the mouth

  

There are more fillers on the horizon.  ArteFill® is the first and only FDA-approved non-resorbable wrinkle filler for the correction of smile lines. The results are immediate with no down-time and requires on one to two treatments.  Look for more information on ArteFill® soon at www.AzulBeauty.com.
 
 
 
 

Azul is moving to a new Fort Myers office in Fall 2007 and coming soon with an office location in Bonita Springs!